Last Updated on July 7, 2022
After a number of resignations from his cabinet over the past week, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he would be stepping down in a statement Thursday. Johnson thanked the people for the “immense privilege” they had bestowed upon him and said it was time for the Conservative Party to have a new leader.
“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party, and therefore a new PM,” Johnson said. “I today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place,” he continued.
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The move came after dozens of high-profile resignations by members of his cabinet and government while calls for his resignation grew louder. He will remain on until a new leader is chosen, though Labour Party leaders have said he should be officially out as soon as possible.
The vote to choose a new Prime Minister will not be public and whoever is chosen will stay on until the next general election in 2025. It is possible that a new general election could be called if the Queen dissolves Parliament, though this is not expected to happen.
There will now be a debate on whether to leave Johnson in place for the time being or if a caretaker should be brought in. A new leader likely won’t be chosen until the fall, as Parliament will begin its summer recess on July 21.
